Author: Marie A Gleason

Submitted by Anna Reynolds on the 2022 spring semester program in London, England…

This past week was midterm week which can be stressful under any circumstances, but being abroad and dealing with midterms became more stressful than I originally anticipated. One of the things that I have noticed about classes here is that there are not many assessments before midterms, so you don’t have any quizzes or tests before your midterm to sort of gauge how your professor might make the exam. This put a lot of extra pressure on me as I wanted to do well in my classes, but not knowing how my professors grade and give exams ended up heightening my stress around the whole process. While most of the week went well for me, the final day of exams proved to be a little more stressful than I had anticipated. While I was prepared for my exams, my usual morning commute didn’t go as planned. I got on the wrong train by accident and started going in the wrong direction. What began as a 35-minute commute to class ended up being about an hour commute. Getting to the CAPA Center, I immediately asked for help as I was so overwhelmed by how my morning had gone, and the CAPA staff could not have been more amazing in that type of situation. Not only did they bring me to a room where I could calm down, but they also brought in their mental health team to discuss options for how I can manage stress in the future, and they talked to my professor for me about how to proceed with taking my exam. While on a break from the class, my professor came to talk with me and made sure that I was okay before allowing me to take my exam in a private room with a proctor once I calmed down. This is a perfect example of how accommodating the CAPA staff is when a student struggles. Knowing that I had an entire staff of people supporting me when my usual support system was still at home made me feel so much more comfortable after a hard morning. That afternoon, I was able to take my other exam as planned. The CAPA staff reached out to me to follow up with how I felt. They have also planned to do informal check-ins with me to manage any anxiety I might have in the future. So, if you are thinking about going abroad, but are scared not to have your normal support system, the staff of whichever program you are going into has seen this before and will help you get the support you need.

 

Submitted by Dara McNally on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

This week, I went island hopping over the weekend to Naxos and Paros! I wasn’t originally intending to, but I changed my mind Friday evening and booked ferry tickets and a hotel that night for the next morning. It worked out surprisingly well!

Naxos is a summer destination so in February a lot of things weren’t open yet. But there’s a beach perfect for wading about a 10-15 minute walk from the port! There’s also an old castle! Though beware, the last call for the museum is at 13:40 because it closes at 14:00. If you plan to visit, get there early!!

Paros is far quieter than Naxos. Rather than leisurely meandering along the beach, I decided to go for a hike after looking around a nearby museum! And what a hike it was! There’s a little map by a school to the right of the port with trails and landmarks so you can plan out a route. I would strongly recommend taking a picture of it before you start heading off!! I’ve attached an image of the route I took (Order: red, blue, green). After getting lost about a dozen times, the whole route took me about 5 hours, but the views were amazing! I would definitely go there if you’re interested in hiking and ruins. Bring comfortable shoes, layers, and lots of water because you can go from sweating to chilly very quickly if it’s windy or about to rain!

Submitted by Lara Wood on the 2022 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…

Living in the city of Rome can sometimes be a little bit more fast paced than I am used to. Luckily, there are many beautiful places nearby that I am able to easily head off to. This past weekend, a couple of friends and I went on a day trip to Tivoli in search of some greenery. Tivoli was absolutely beautiful! In this little town to the east of Rome, we were able to find more than just gorgeous waterfalls, overlooks and ancient ruins. We got to enjoy the wholesomeness and peacefulness of the town. Families with dogs, a child’s birthday party (which consisted of lots of confetti and dancing), friendly local cats, and helpful strangers made this trip one of my favorites so far!

Submitted by Lauren Brooks on the 2022 spring semester program in Paris, France…

For many students looking to study abroad, I believe that the rigor of courses abroad is a question that is never omitted. From students and parents alike, this question is important as the student likely has priorities to explore the world around them while ensuring progress towards their degree. From my experience in both Madrid, Spain and Paris, France, the course load seems about the same rigor if not slightly easier. However, it is important to research how your organization or host culture’s out-of-class responsibilities may be divided.

A key difference that I’ve noticed here in Paris is the education system’s emphasis on readings. In Newark, I usually have only a few readings assigned. Some of which, we could skim to understand the concepts and be set to continue building those concepts during class time. After discussing with professors, they agree that the French education system heavily values reading comprehension. For example, it is not uncommon in my International Business course for us to be assigned 60-90 pages to read before the next class. The class is held once per week for three hours. Once we are in the classroom, my professor tries to cover the most important bits from the chapters that tend to span 70+ slides of notes. Because of our burst-like contact with our professor, it’s crucial to stay on top of the readings and review material outside of class hours. This different course structure is something I am still getting used to because I’ve been under the American school system all my life.

The responsibilities in my host country outside of classwork have completely changed compared to my responsibilities in Newark. At UD, I’m involved in several organizations and try to also attend campus events. If not with classes, my schedule would oftentimes be filled with various meetings I was expected to attend for these extracurriculars. There’s a bit of a give-and-take now that I’m in Paris. Instead of focusing so much on those campus opportunities, I’ve had to work on my cooking skills, run a lot more errands, and stay fully engaged in my internship. I’d say that the amount of time I spend productively throughout the week has remained similar to my productivity in Newark.

While my experience of course does not apply to all students studying abroad, I hope that I’ve provided a bit of insight into my work life and how it may vary across cultures. If the course load is something that a student looking into study abroad programs is hesitant about, I’d encourage them to get in touch with the program coordinators as well as past participants in the program. Applying for a study abroad program can be daunting at first, but never count yourself out!

Submitted by Caroline Knotts on the 2022 spring semester program in London, England…

London is full of street markets in nearly every borough. While food is the main attraction, they are also spaces for artisans, vintage sellers, collectibles, and souvenirs. There are a variety of markets ranging from high-end to much less established. The top four markets I have experienced so far are Borough Market, Camden Market, Spitalfields Market, and Broadway Market.

Spitalfields Market in East London is by far the most upscale and established of all the markets with both food and high-end shops, as well as smaller clothing vendors in the center. There are a variety of foods from many cultures, and many decadent dessert places. The one that caught my eye was a place called Humble Crumble, which allows you to choose a fruit, shortbread crumble, and a topping.

Borough Market in Central London is the most food-oriented in my opinion and has many options for a quick bite. It is an outdoor market, but covered by a glass ceiling. There are also multiple produce stands, juice places, and a few artisans mixed in. It is known for its variety of fine foods and ingredients.

Camden Market is known for its street food as well as its many clothing shops. There are a few restaurants mixed in, but many colorful little stands with curries, burgers, mini pancakes, and more. There are bubbles for customers to sit in while they eat their takeaway and shelter from wind and rain.

Broadway Market in Hackney is a street market with tents lining the road. You can pop in and out of the boutiques and coffee shops lining the streets, or peruse the two rows of tents filled with pastries, candles, jewelry, sandwiches, and homemade dog treats.

 

 

Submitted by Lara Wood on the 2022 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…

This week was the first week of having a five day school week! While five days is what I am used to at the University of Delaware, it was difficult to have that change here. Schooling in general has been a lot more challenging than I had initially expected. There is no slack for the students studying abroad. My classes in general are rather challenging, but the teaching styles are also very different from what I am used to. Three of my four professors’ native language is Italian. Though they speak English, the professors have a very different style that I am still taking time to learn. These classes require that you put a lot of time into your classwork. While I sometimes wish that I could be walking around the streets exploring, I know that I am also learning a new valuable work ethic.

 

Submitted by Gabriella Cammarata on the 2022 spring semester program in London, England…

Exploring your study abroad destination is key to a successful experience. London is a massive city, 15 times the size of another major European city, Paris. You could probably spend a lifetime here and never get bored. Recently, my friends and I ventured over to Kingston upon Thames. Notable as Tom Holland’s hometown, Kingston is an ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned. It is an administrative center of the royal borough that forms part of the South London Partnership. Kingston is characterized by quirky shopping and unique entertainment, yet somehow it felt Americanized. Nonetheless, we really enjoyed the experience!

Submitted by Hannah Kirby on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

This weekend was nothing short of an adventure. We were traveling to the island of Syros by ferry, and we thought it’d be a relaxing ride; however, it wasn’t. It turns out when you purchase Economy seats you don’t necessarily have a seat. It is a first come, first serve basis for 30 seats when there are roughly 200 passengers. Our options were to either pay to upgrade to an assigned seat or to sit on an outside deck. Since the weather was nice, we chose to sit outside, but as the sun went down it was chillier than a popsicle. While it certainly was a once and a lifetime experience, you better believe we went ahead and upgraded our seats for the ferry home. Moral of the story: always do your research before booking tickets for anything.

Once we got to Syros, however, it was a dream. Everything was within walking distance within the port area. I love seeing the outside markets for fish, meat, grains, and produce – it all seems so fresh and healthy. The water, again, was nothing short of breathtaking. There is nothing like sitting by the Aegean Sea and listening to water ripple over the rocks, to bring you back to center.

Greece has certainly become a calming force for me. Even on my lower days, She has a way of bringing me back up. Even though I have a few more months left to enjoy Her peace, I already miss it.